This invention relates to a connector device, particularly, to a connector device, which is used to connect an optical cable to an electronic device, and a plug connector included therein.
JP2014-26134A (Patent Document 1) discloses a connector connection unit (connector device) which is provided with a plug (plug connector) and a receptacle (receptacle connector). As shown in FIG. 33, the plug 900 of Patent Document 1 is attached to an end portion of an optical cable 920. In detail, the plug 900 has an optical connector main unit 902 attached to the end portion of the optical cable 920. The plug 900 further has a housing 904 holding the optical connector main unit 902, an inner shell 906 attached to the housing 904 and an outer shell 908. On the other hand, the receptacle 910 is attached to a case (not shown) of an electronic device (not shown). The receptacle 910 has a mating optical connector 912, which is connected to the optical connector main unit 902 when the receptacle 910 is mated with the plug 900. The receptacle 910 further has an optical transceiver 914 mounted on a board 930 accommodated in the case and a case shell 916 fixed to the case. In a state that the plug 900 and the receptacle 910 are mated with each other, the optical transceiver 914 converts an optical signal transmitted through the optical cable 920 and an electric signal transmitted through a wiring (not shown) of the board 930 to each other.
In the connector connection unit of Patent Document 1, the optical transceiver 914 is directly mounted on the board 930. Accordingly, the optical transceiver 914 is hard to be replaced when it is out of order. In order to ease replacement of the optical transceiver, a combination of an electric connector to be mounted on a board and an optical module formed to be insertable to and removable from the electric connector has already been developed. JP2005-56615A (Patent Document 2) discloses an electric connector used in such a combination. As shown in FIG. 34, the electric connector 950 of Patent Document 2 is provided with an electric connector body 952 mounted on a board 960 and shells 954 and 956 surrounding the electric connector main unit 952.